title: Imaging of tuberculosis of the abdominal viscera: beyond the intestines.
abstract: There is an increasing incidence of both intra- and extra-thoracic manifestations of tuberculosis, in part due to the AIDS epidemic. Isolated tubercular involvement of the solid abdominal viscera is relatively unusual. Cross-sectional imaging with ultrasound, multidetector computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the diagnosis and post treatment follow-up of tuberculosis. Specific imaging features of tuberculosis are frequently related to caseous necrosis, which is the hallmark of this disease. However, depending on the type of solid organ involvement, tubercular lesions can mimic a variety of neoplastic and nonneoplastic conditions. Often, cross-sectional imaging alone is insufficient in reaching a conclusive diagnosis, and image-guided tissue sampling is needed. In this article, we review the pathology and cross-sectional imaging features of tubercular involvement of solid abdominopelvic organs with a special emphasis on appropriate differential diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Imaging, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Sree Harsha
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tirumani
authors.forename: Vijayanadh
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ojili
authors.forename: Gowthaman
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gunabushanam
authors.forename: Alampady Krishna Prasad
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Shanbhogue
authors.forename: Arpit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagar
authors.forename: Najla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fasih
authors.forename: Kedar N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Chintapalli
keywords: Abdomen; computed tomography; magnetic resonance imaging; tuberculosis